Nothing But a Name
by The Light's Refrain
Summary: ONESHOT. It's November 2nd of The Day of the Dead, and Rouge looks back on who she was, who she is now, and the ultimate sacrifice of that black hedgehog. Many may forget him, but she will always know that he is more than just a name. ShadowRouge


_Sigh...first I get the dates wrong, then I forget the disclaimer. Argh!_

_This is based on a Spanish Holiday known as the Day of the Dead. You don't have to know anything about it to read this though, as it's explained in the story and is more of a backdrop than anything. As long as you know Shadow and Rouge and know the Sonic Adventure 2plotline basics, you're fine. But you probably wouldn't be at this point if you didn't so I'm just rambling XP._

_Like I said, mostly RougeXShadow fluff that isn't really connected to anything else, though some of the details I used for Rouge here might turn up somewhere else since I think they turned out well_

_Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Sonic. I could try to kidnap him and his friends, but somehow I don't think that would work..._

Graveyards are not known to be very lively places. Most of the time they are known to cast a sobering shadow over any who dare set foot in them. Few ever joke around in such areas, unless they are children who have yet to grasp the true meaning of these odd places with weird stones lined up all neat.

But, in a place known as Mexico, there is a time when death is mocked and lives of the lost loved ones are celebrated. Comical skeleton toys are everywhere to be seen, and special sugar skulls were being prepared in the homes of these people. Truck after truck enter the towns, overflowing with marigolds, the flower of the dead. During this time, the graves have been under high maintenance by the ones they once spent their fleeting time with. It is all in preparation for that time known as the _Dia De los Muertos_, or the Day of the Dead, believed to be the one time that the souls can return to the world, and to be with their loved ones for a little longer.

This holiday for the spirits actually occurs over two days, November 1st and 2nd. The first days are for the _angelitos_, or little angels, the children who were put to rest before their time. It is the second that honors the souls of the dead adults, and it is here that this story begins...

Darkness has fallen, but it cannot quite settle upon the graves. Thousands of candles drive away the night, never letting the blackness so much as touch the flowers and offerings that are reserved for the spirits. The lovely food is set out upon the graves for the souls to enjoy. While they cannot physically eat it, they say that they can absorb the flavors and smells from the offerings, giving them strength to keep moving in the afterlife. Prized possessions from their mortal times are also placed upon the graves, to help them feel at home and to make them happy.

But this graveyard is full of living beings, as well as dead. Children laugh and play among the graves without fear. Some people are scattering the petals of marigolds, to help their dear spirits find them and return, while others tell about the times they once spent with a dear friend, or how a brother once helped them get back home after being lost, as well as many other tales revived for this occasion. It was the pinnacle of The Day of the Dead.

Wandering listlessly among the fallen flower petals and myriad lights of the small flames was a lady bat. Her fur was as white as the crescent moon that hung above among all those shining stars. Being a nocturnal creature by nature, her sky-hued eyes had no problem penetrating the darkness that seeped in between the candlelight. Tonight she was clothed in black and purple, instead of her usual attire of white and lavender. Flapping her violet wings, she soared over to a slightly raised hill that was, for the present, devoid of graves. Sitting down on the grass, she looked up and gazed at the ever-increasing number of stars up ahead.

This is Rouge, thinking about a certain someone she had lost a while ago. Normally she was occupied hunting down treasure, especially jewels, since those kinds of things had always appealed to her and were a good way for her to keep herself busy. If she didn't keep herself busy, her mind would begin to wander, and when her mind began to wander, it had a habit of digging up painful memories.

She hadn't planned to attend this festival for the dead. She hadn't even heard about it before until a couple of days ago, when she had drifted into Mexico when to investigate some interesting new ruins that had been discovered. However, though, she quickly found herself tangled up in all this carrying on about this whole _Dia De los Muertos_ business, and, before she even realized it, here she was, hanging out in a graveyard packed with people, offerings and marigolds. Of course, she didn't know any of those people, and they didn't know her, so the crowd soon became too stifling for her to stay in. Now she had drifted to this somewhat isolated spot, and, since this holiday was about the ones who had passed on, her thoughts drifted over to Shadow.

Shadow. That black hedgehog with those intense red eyes, perfectly matched with those streaks down his spines and arms. One of the few that had proved an even match for Sonic, with his rocket skates, cunning, and chaos powers. The one that nearly destroyed everything for the sake of revenge, and, with the help Sonic, seven chaos emeralds, and some rings, ultimately saved the world.

But not without sacrificing himself in the process.

That moment was still so clear in her mind, that time when Sonic hesitantly walked into the room where she and the others were waiting. He didn't need to say anything; it was the way he couldn't make eye contact with them, and the fact that he was alone, that said it all. Sonic stammered on how he had tried to save him, when he started to fall, but she didn't hear his words. The only thing had really registered in her mind for the next few hours was that Sonic handed her Shadow's golden bracelet, the only thing that remained of him now.

Unconsciously she tinkered with that golden bracelet on her wrist. She almost never went without it these days, ever since that day. It was proof that once, a black and red hedgehog roamed this world, and that it wasn't some fantasy she had created out a feeling of isolation.

Since he had fallen through the atmosphere, he wasn't a body to be found. No body to put in a coffin to rest, no body to be buried. No proof to future generations had a Shadow the Hedgehog ever existed. Sure, they had set up a fancy marker as a tribute to him, but there was no Shadow underneath that marker.

He was honored by many; he helped save the world after all. But to those people who never met him, who heard something about a black and red hedgehog sacrificing himself for the sake of their survival, he was nothing but a name. Some vague illusion that had saved them; just one less being on the planet to compete with. That is the case for many heroes, really.

Rouge looked toward the huge pyramid of food at the center of the graveyard. This was where those spirits that had no one to give them offerings drifted too, a miscellaneous feast. Perhaps this was where Shadow might glide to. After all, he had no real grave to put offerings on. Or perhaps he would stay high above, considering that his cremation in the sky was the closest thing to a real burial that he got.

Rouge had no idea what she should bring as an offering. She didn't know what food he preferred, since almost all of their time had been spent on the Ark, using the preserved food supply to support themselves. It was decent, sure, but she couldn't call it the finest cuisine she'd ever had, and she doubted it had been much different for Shadow. She never thought of asking him, and, even if she did, she doubted that she would've gotten a response anyway.

Now that she thought of it, they didn't have much personal time to really get to know each other. Most of the time they were together they were either on a mission, or discussing plans on how to gather the chaos emeralds for that giant cannon. Even when he saved her from being blown up on the island, that was more business than actual heroism.

It was funny really. Being a spy for Station Square, she hadn't felt anything when she was playing along with their plans, looking for a weak point to exploit. She had done this kind of thing many times, after all. And just like Shadow's rescue had more to do with saving the emeralds than saving her, she felt little awe or even gratitude to Shadow for it. Her heart was just that frozen at the time.

But that coldness began to melt away when the final battle came. Her usual attitude dissolved when she realized that everyone she had every known, as well as herself, could be drowned in a huge inferno. That government that had helped bail her out many times when things went awry was powerless to save her this time. She could hardly believe it was happening.

But even with that first layer washed away, her main concerns were still for herself. The others could take care of themselves, she was sure. And Super Sonic and Super Shadow were fighting off that horrible monster that had fused itself with the ship, so there was a chance, right? At least it wasn't her battling that biolizard.

However, that second layer was slowly charred off as the fight wore on. As the hedgehogs took their shifts to rest and collect rings, it was clear that Shadow wasn't taking this well at all. It took him longer to catch his breath, and his fatigue weighed him down much faster. During those last few shifts, she remembered how he actually had to lie down for a short while before he could go to collect rings for his next transformation. Suddenly, Rouge found herself becoming much more concerned for someone else than herself.

But it was when he died, when only Sonic returned to the ship, that the final layer was torn apart. Suddenly, all those emotions had had been hiding inside her burst out in a panic, having nowhere to retreat to anymore. It seemed like she was awake yet dreaming at the same time. Dreaming, because it didn't seem like something like this could be possible. Awake, because her conscience was active for the first time for years.

She was a complete mess for the first few months. It wasn't just the death she was coping with; she was trying to find a balance within herself. She wanted to escape the pain, but she was terrified of the omnipresent numbness that consumed her before. She had quit her job for Station Square as a result. Perhaps that was why she found him to be so precious in her memory; he was the one who woke her up.

Once she had managed to stabilize herself to some point, some tried to pair her up with Knuckles. It wasn't a completely off the wall idea; she had flirted with Knuckles some during their encounters, and he did seem to like her back. But she was still sleeping then. She hadn't flirted with Knuckles because she liked him; she flirted with him to bring his guard down and manipulate him. Taking advantage of her feminine charms was just part of her job as a spy. Besides, she had heard that he had a girlfriend back on the Floating Island. It wouldn't matter even if he did, though. Being with Knuckles would mean mostly staying on the Floating Island, which would mean little treasure hunting. And little treasure hunting led to mind wandering like now.

Besides, it wasn't like she could imagine herself having a real home anyway, considering that she never really had one. Ever since she could remember, even as a small child, she wandered from town to town, city to city. Sure, she had been in Station Square lately, but she never really considered it somewhere where she could've stayed indefinitely. She would've moved on soon enough.

She vaguely remembered hearing some random person ask her where her parents were, and her responding "What's a parent?' It was true, she really didn't know. She never knew her parents, never knew what happened to them, never knew what their hobbies or quirks were. If she did know, it had been long forgotten.

She collected various trinkets in her travels, her little hobby to keep her mind off of hunger and discriminating looks from some of the others around her. She especially liked shiny things, such as lost rings. Over time she wanted better shiny knickknacks, which required more searching. For these humble origins came her love for treasure and her keen ability to find it.

She grew hungry for knowledge, so she often went into schoolhouses to listen to lessons. Of course, just being some little tramp off the street, she often got kicked out or was denied entry. So she often found herself needed to sneak into the buildings, slipping through various shafts and other such odd places. Staying in her secret place, she would eavesdrop on the classes and mostly teach herself. This was how she developed her stealthy ways.

As she grew older, her beauty began to blossom. She soon figured out that she could often coax some of the boys to do favors for her, such as getting some extra food from them. As she practiced this, her acting steadily got better, thus making it more and more effective. From this came her manipulative streak.

And through all of this, her heart was hardened. She didn't expect respect from others around her, so she stopped caring about what they thought or said or did. As an instinct to survive the streets, she had become a loner. She didn't want any help from others, or expected it.

Station Square was just another city she had drifted into. Some recruiters from the government noticed her sharpened skills, and decided that she would make an excellent agent. So she was brought to the president, went through some test setups to prove she could do it, and passed with flying colors. From that day forward she was a spy for Station Square, a profession that quickly turned her heart numb.

And that was how Rouge became Rouge before she met Shadow.

The white bat flew over the pyramid of food, surveying the various dishes that had been prepared for those souls who didn't quite belong. Vaguely, she remembered hearing something about how, in the ancient days of this holiday, they believed that life was merely a dream.

If she was living a dream now, what had she been living before?

Slipping off the golden bracelet, she carefully placed it on an empty space on the table.

"Here. It's yours anyway."

And with that, she wandered back into the crowd, to enjoy the festivities.

The celebration was over. Dawn had risen, painting the sky red and gold, and the spirits had left. They had taken what they needed from the offerings, so now the living feasted on what remained. It is said that the food loses its flavor when the spirit has enjoyed it, and to Rouge it seemed that the food really had little taste now.

As she glided back over to the main offering table, she realized that the golden bracelet was now gone.

A bittersweet smile crept onto her face, and she shook her head slightly.

"Well, like I said, it is yours."

_I think I confused myself on that last part. Is he alive? Is he dead? I have absoluetly no idea, so please don't ask XP._

_Hoped you liked it. Please let me know what you thought of it._

_Cya!_


End file.
